Meanwhile, Cisse has hit out at Montpellier president Louis Nicollin, who criticised him for DJ-ing in his spare time.

Nicollin’s club had been linked with a move for Cisse, but the president told Midi Libre: "There's no question of it. I don't want a lad who does DJ-ing, though I suppose it's a career alternative like any other.”

That sparked a Twitter riposte from Cisse, who said: "Thanks for your support, but I feel sorry for the fans and players at Montpellier. To have a president as stupid as that cannot be easy every day.

"It's a shame things won't work out with Montpellier. A good club, a beautiful city with an idiot of a president who allows himself to cut people down to size whenever he feels like it."

But, speaking at the official presentation of new Montpellier coach Jean Fernandez, Nicollin told the media the door was still open for Cisse - but only on the club's terms.

"You can never say it's definitive, but I said what I had to say: I don't want to pay that much for a DJ,” he said.

“If he decides to come on a freelance basis, we'll see. It's only my way of thinking, and he's certainly a very good player.”

Nicollin, whose money was made from his family’s refuse disposal business, added: "He was in England, so given the money he earned there, I'd need to sell a bunch of dustbin lorries for him to come to Montpellier."